Motorists seeking to use the Nairobi Expressway from this Saturday will not be allowed to pay via M-Pesa in the early days of its operations, limiting their options to cash and electronic cards.
Officials told the Business Daily the decision to delay M-Pesa payments was because transactions via cash were seen as quick and “M-Pesa payment would result in traffic congestion at tolling points”.
“No M-Pesa payment at the moment. It is still in consideration. It will be there in the future,” a spokesperson of Moja Expressway, a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Corporation, which built the road, told the Business Daily.
Millions of Kenyans pay for a majority of services via mobile money service and the delay in including it in the payment options will limit motorists who wish to use the road without using cash or cards.
The company has unveiled a discount system to boost card payments for motorists that will load their cards with a minimum of Sh2,000 in toll points as part of a plan to woo more users on the road.
Kenya National Highway Authority deputy director for corporate communication Samwel Kumba said motorists using Electronic Toll Cards on the road will get a five percent discount every time they load their cards with Sh2,000 points. BY DAILY NATION